Book Review: Magnolia Parks

The Magnolia Parks series by Jessa Hastings has been on my tbr for a long time. I’ve had the books on my bookshelf since last year and I finally started the series by reading book 1!

I always heard people say that Magnolia Parks is like a British Gossip Girl and I would say that’s accurate. It’s like a British version of Gossip Girl but the characters are a bit older (early 20s instead of in high school) and I would say probably even richer.

This novel has two points of view – Magnolia Parks and BJ Ballentine – our star crossed lovers. Magnolia and BJ have been best friends since they were kids – BJ is a little older (I think 2 years, but I don’t remember exactly). Both are from very wealthy, upper class families who run in the same circles. 3 years prior to the events in the novel, Magnolia and BJ had been a couple for years when BJ did the unthinkable. He cheated on Magnolia and immediately after runs to her to confess and apologize, but she breaks up with him. Although, she won’t take him back, they don’t say estranged for long because they cannot stay way from each other and they go back to being best friends and spending most of their free time together – even sleeping in the same bed most nights – but never get physical.

The two cannot stay away from each other. All their friends know it. The guys Magnolia dates know it. All the women BJ casually sleeps with know it. They even know it, but they both have so many issues that stop them from being together. Magnolia is self-centered and doesn’t know if she can fully trust BJ with her heart. BJ self sabotages constantly. They’re both incredibly flawed characters, but the depth of the love they have for each other is really something special. There is a line in the book that one of them says about how they love each other more than they love themselves which ends up hurting them because they have no self-preservation or ability to put an end to whatever their relationship is to save themselves. There are no real “bad” people in the book and even the guy who creates a bit of a love triangle for Magnolia and BJ, Tom England, is so likable! Magnolia and BJ do things that make you want to shake them or yell at them, but there’s something about them that makes you still love them anyway.

The thing the two of them cannot get past (at least in this book) is what really happened the night BJ cheated on Magnolia. BJ will not tell Magnolia who he slept with saying it will not change anything. Magnolia cannot move on without knowing. Can they get past this?

The book did live up to the hype for me and I’m looking forward to reading more of the series!

Side Note: When the new covers of the books launched (also known as the shoe covers) I panic bought the OG illustrated covers from Blackwell’s, a British book retailer that ships to the US for free, so if you’re looking for the original covers then check them out!

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